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July 28, 2016

EIGHT SECOND RIDE by Anne Jolin Series: Willow Bay Stables #2 Genres: Contemporary Romance — SYNOPSIS —
Owen Daniels lives his life eight seconds at a time. The thrill of anticipation that comes with sitting on twelve hundred pounds of untamed power is unparalleled. The adrenaline rush that floods his system when the chute opens is one of life’s most unique and natural highs.

Ride eight seconds bareback on a bucking bronco—that’s his life.

When Owen’s stock horse, Remington’s Lady, is injured midway through the rodeo circuit, he trailers her back home to Willow Bay, Alberta, to remain in the care of the local vet, Ray Brookes.

Months later, with a truck bed full of buckles, Owen comes home to collect his Lady from the man he trusted to help her recover. Only Ray happens to be short for Rayne, and Rayne happens to be a woman.

And this woman wants nothing to do with a cowboy fresh off the circuit. As far as she’s concerned, he can take his buckles, boots, and spurs right back on out of her life.

Will Rayne keep them from holding on to their eight-second ride? Or will love buck out of the chute in time for a perfect score?

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but Eight Second Ride I didn't think was as good as the first book. Something was missing for me to love it.

I thought Owen was a sweetheart. I really liked him with Ray and her daughter. I love when books have single parents.

I really felt sorry for Ray. After learning her story, you can't help but feel sorry for her and you get where she's coming from.

Overall, I liked it for the most part. I didn't like it as much as the first book, but I also didn't hate it either. Something was missing for me to love it. I liked the characters. I loved that it had a single parent because I love those types of stories.

Shoving the last (a bit too large) bite of bran muffin into my mouth, I push out the doors that led to the clinic’s driveway.

There was a dusty red pickup truck with a horse trailer hitched to the back blocking my view of the barn. Sidestepping around it, I opened the file in my hand to refresh my memory. We’d had Lady here for a little over four months, but I liked to cover all the bases with an owner before we discharged an animal from our care.

“Oh, here she is!” I heard Nora boom over the flat land.

Next was a deep and gravelly voice. “She?”

Lifting up my head, I choked on my muffin.

His butt.

That was literally all I could see. A ten-gallon, tan cowboy hat and a Wrangler-clad ass. Somewhere in between, I was pretty sure I’d skimmed over some pretty impressive muscles, but that butt…

My coughing (from my choking) must have encouraged him to turn.

I declared the front wasn’t so bad either.

He stood at what I had to guess was at least six foot four and stretched across the broad expanse of his chest was a faded black T-shirt. The man looked rough, not in a bad way, but in the kind of way that made you wish you could spend a lifetime curled up in his lap. A five o’clock shadow darkened his hard jaw, and eyes as green as the summer grass watched me as I stopped a few feet from him.

“I’ll be on my way,” Nora muttered and disappeared across the parking lot.

The silence left in her wake made me uncomfortable so, after swallowing, I decided to fill it.

“Ray Brookes.” I held out my hand to him, and he studied it.

Eventually, he slid a much larger, calloused hand into mine and squeezed. “Darlin’, I’ve met Ray Brookes, and you sure as hell ain’t him.”

“Oh.” I tugged at my hand a little as a result of the odd backhanded compliment, but it didn’t budge. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothin’ you need to be apologizin’ for.”

He was rough around the edges but charming in a way that cowboys so often were. They were a legend after all, weren’t they?

— ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ANNE JOLIN —

Hey y’all,

I was born and raised in Ladner, a small farm town just outside Vancouver, Canada. I grew up riding horses, shooting guns, and driving in trucks.

I never expected to be an author. A massage therapist? Yes. Take over the family construction company? Yes. But an author? No. Writing was something that snuck up on me and rooted itself into my life. It was beautiful to discover that love, and I’m truly grateful to say I’ve found my passion.

Since I’ve always been a creative person, it feels amazing to harness all of that energy and use it to tell a story I love. I enjoy incorporating bits of my real life into the stories I write. What parts are true? Hah. I’ll never tell—what would be the fun in that?

If I could leave y’all with one thing, it’s that life’s far too short to not live it out loud. Drown in your passions, hold on tight to the things that inspire you, and chase your dreams relentlessly. I can promise you without a doubt that you won’t regret it. I know I don’t.